Chapter Text
Looking at the passport in her hand, Yooyeon sighed, wondering if she had made the right decision.
All she wanted was a relaxing time on her summer break. A time when she could spend happily with her family, going on vacation and have their little bonding time. However it was proven to be difficult as her first week at home was already hell. The endless discussion on her study. Her parents pressuring her to be the best at her university, despite the fact that her academic achievements had surpassed most of her peers.
She understood her parents just wanted the best for her. She knew having a good, stable job would help her a lot in the future. Just sometimes, she wanted to talk about something other than her study, or medicine, or science with her parents. She couldn't even remember the last time they asked her what she liked or what she wanted to do.
Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to New York. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you.
Yooyeon took out her phone, looking at the numerous missed calls from her parents before turning it off. She took her suitcase and made her way to the gate.
Yooyeon tiredly threw herself down the bed. After what seemed like forever, she finally arrived at her hotel. Looking out the window, she took in the unfamiliar scenery, still unable to fully grasp that she had traveled alone to a foreign country. The city lights flickered in the distance, a constant reminder that she was far from home.
She sighed, her eyes drifted to her phone laying on the bedside table. She picked it up, looking at the missed calls and unread texts from her parents. The sight of them made her heart ache, a sharp reminder of the reason she was here all alone. The girl did not dare to open any of them, knowing it would only shatter her already fragile heart.
Yooyeon sat at the dining table, absent-mindedly picking at the food in front of her. Her mother was busying herself in the kitchen while her father, seated across from her, sipped on his morning coffee while reading a newspaper. The family had not exchange a word since the matriarch had called everyone down for breakfast.
It was her third day back at her parents' house and she already felt suffocated. A home was supposed to be warm and welcoming, a place where she could be her carefree self. But here, every corner was cold and sterile, as if she was walking on eggshells, constantly on edge.
The distant ticking of the clock in the hallway amplified the silence between them, making Yooyeon feel even more uneasy.
She forked the piece of bacon in front of her and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly, trying to block out the thoughts swirling in her mind. The tension in the room was palpable, a thick, heavy silence that hung over them like a dark cloud.
"How was school?" - her mother finally asked. Her voice was sharp and direct, cutting through the silence like a knife.
Yooyeon winced at her mother's distant, cold tone. She knew this was no casual question. It was more like an interrogation, a demand for reassurance that their only daughter was on the right track, fulfilling the role they had carefully carved out for her.
"It was fine, mother" - she managed to reply, trying to keep her tone as composed as possible.
Her mother's expression darkened, the disappointment filling her eyes.
"Fine? After all the sacrifices and efforts we've put into your education. You can't give us more than 'fine'?"
Yooyeon looked down, dreading the conversation.
"It was the usual mom. I attended all my classes and passed all my exams"
"That's just what normal students. To be extraordinary, you have to push yourself harder"
"Not everyone passed their exams ..." - Yooyeon weakly countered. She immediately regretted her decision as she saw her mother's eyes harden.
"Those are not on par with us. Passing your exam is the minimum thing to do as a student. You do not compare yourself to them"
Her father, who had been silent the entire time, lowered his newspaper and looked at her sternly
"You need to take your future seriously, Yooyeon. We’ve invested too much in you for you to throw it all away.
Invest. Her father's words echoed in her mind, twisting like a knife in her chest. She had always known that they saw her as an investment, a project to be managed and controlled. But hearing it said out loud made it all the more real, all the more painful.
Yooyeon could feel her composure slipping, the mask she wore so carefully starting to crack. The room felt smaller, the walls pressing in on her from all sides. Her breath came in shallow, uneven gasps as she fought to keep her emotions in check.
"Can we... not talk about this father. I just got home 3 days ago" - Yooyeon pleaded quietly, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.
"We wouldn't have to talk about it if you listened to us" - Her mother leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a cold, cutting whisper - "You need to stop wasting time and start focusing on what matters. We didn’t raise you to be ordinary, Yooyeon. We raised you to be exceptional."
Her breath hitched, hand balled into fist. The resentment and anger that she buried deep inside her heart, the words that she swallowed for so long, threatened to spill over.
"I can't believe we have to say this over and over again. Why can't you be more like your cousin?"
Something inside her snapped. The years of pent-up frustration, the suffocating expectations, the constant feeling of being trapped, of being compared, of being not enough — it all came crashing down at once. Her knuckles had turned white. She could no longer hold her composure as tears started to pour over.
Her voice shook as she looked up, meeting her mother’s gaze with a fiery defiance she had never shown before.
"You mean you want to raise me as a carbon copy of you!" - Yooyeon’s voice cracked, the words tumbling out with a force she hadn’t intended, but she didn’t care. She had always tried her best to be the perfect daughter they wanted, while they had never bothered to try and understand her.
"You have never cared about what I want or what I think. All you wanted was for me to be your perfect little trophy, someone you could show off to your friends, someone who could live up to your expectations and nothing more." - Yooyeon sobbed, her voice cracking, facing her parents' surprised expression. The words she had held back for so long were now pouring out uncontrollably.
"You never asked what I wanted for my own life, or what would make me happy. It was always about how I could make you proud, how I could fit into the mold you created for me. But I'm not just a reflection of your ambitions! I'm a person with my own dreams, my own desires, and you've never once tried to understand that. You've never cared about the real me!"
The silence that followed was deafening. The realization that their usually obedient and timid daughter had dared to talk back to them hit them hard. Fear started to wash over Yooyeon as she saw her parents' eyes shift from shock to anger, ready to give her a piece of their mind.
Before they could react, Yooyeon pushed back her chair and bolted from the dining table, her heart pounding in her ears. She ran up to her room and pulled out her suitcase, quickly throw in all of her necessities. Her hands trembled as she zipped up the bag. She could hear her parents’ voices downstairs, their anger growing with each passing moment. But their words were just noise now, a distant hum she could barely comprehend. All she knew was that she had to get out of there.
Ignoring her parents' threats and shouts to come back, the young girl quickened her pace and ran out of the house. With each step, the tears she had been holding back run freely, blurring her vision.
Yooyeon shut her eyes as the painful memories flashed back. Her impulsive decision to come to New York was because it was the first flight to take off. Wanting to get as far away from her parents as possible, Yooyeon immediately bought a one-way ticket. Now that she was here, she realized too late that she had no one and she was completely clueless about the city.
The girl sighed, rolling on her side. What was the point of regretting. Best to make the most of it before she had to face her parents' wrath. With that in mind, Yooyeon changed her clothes and decided to take a walk to clear her head.
Yooyeon looked around the unfamiliar city, her eyes wide with uncertainty. People rushed past her, moving at a pace she wasn’t accustomed to, jostling each other as they hurried along. She tried her best to avoid colliding with anyone, weaving through the crowd with a mix of anxiety and determination.
"Where am I?" - Yooyeon muttered to herself as she stopped at a red light, seizing the opportunity to look at Google Maps on her phone. For the past 30 minutes, she had been walking aimlessly, her legs growing more tired with each step. She sighed, frustration beginning to bubble up inside her.
The light turned green and suddenly the crowd surged forward. Yooyeon barely had time to react before she was caught in the flow, people bumping into her as they moved to cross the street. Startled, the small girl nearly lost her balance, quickly matching their pace to avoid getting knocked over.
Her legs were already aching. Yooyeon wasn’t used to this much walking, and the constant jostling wasn’t helping. She was about to give up and sit down at a random café when something caught her eye—an Asian-looking girl standing next to a bookstore. Gathering her courage, Yooyeon approached the girl and gently tapped her on the shoulder, silently praying that she was Korean.
"Hi ..." - Yooyeon's voice was hesitant as the stranger pulled out her earphone, turning to her with a confused expression.
"Yes?" - the girl responded, her tone curious but not unfriendly.
"Erm... Are you..by any chance... Korean?" - Yooyeon asked, her voice tinged with hope. The girl nodded, and Yooyeon let out a relieved sigh.
"Hi, I just arrive here. I don't know the place very well" - Yooyeon shyly smiled before continued - "If it was not too much to ask, can you recommend me a few places?"
The girl's mouth form an "O", before pointing at the store next to them.
"You can come inside here. This is both a bookstore and a record store"
Yooyeon took a peak inside.The place seemed cozy enough, and more importantly, it offered a chance to rest her tired legs.
"I was about to get in as well. Do you want to go together?"
Yooyeon shyly nodded at the girl's friendly suggestion. The girl stepped in first, holding the door open for Yooyeon who could only muttered a small 'thank you' before following her in.
"I'm Yooyeon by the way" - Yooyeon timidly introduced herself. The girl warmly smile and shook her extended hand.
"Nice to meet you Yooyeon. I'm Sohyun, Park Sohyun"